Lately we've been blessed with a few more weekend days with my husband, so we've been hitting the road to find some of the best hiking areas within a drive of Indianapolis.
1) Eagle Creek Park: Located on the northwest side of Indianapolis, Eagle Creek is not lacking for things to do: from hiking trails to fishing and boating to naturalist activities. The only downside it seems is that everyone in town has discovered it. There is an entrance fee, and be prepared to pay more if you don't live in Marian County.
2) Mounds State Park: A short trek up I-69 into Anderson, Mounds State Park is packed with history, a great kid-friendly interpretive center, camping, and hours of trails. I will say even the "rigorous" ones were good for my five-year-old; it's more about the incline of the steps than anything. It's home to earthworks by the Adena-Hopewell people dating to 160 B.C. We were charged a $5 entrance fee for the car.
3) Morgan-Monroe State Forest: Tucked off of State Road 37 in Martinsville, Morgan-Monroe State Forest is on our repeat list for a day of picnicing and hiking and perhaps camping. The kids loved the more challenging switchback trails and rivers interrupted by bursts of sunshine. There is no entrance fee.
4) Southeastway Park: Just past I-74 in southeast Indianapolis, Southeastway Park is a great stop for southsiders who feel the need to hike but can't commit to a long hike or drive time. We discovered this park when looking for native wetlands for a patch our Brownie troop was looking on. No entrance fee; and there are wonderful programs throughout the year, including the annual BugFest coming up on Aug. 25.
5) Holiday Park: In North Indianapolis off of Spring Mill Road, Holiday Park has been an easy excursion for us since we discovered it a few years ago with a day care field trip. They have a fabulous nature center, trails and programs for young children. No entrance fee.
Have you found other areas to hike in and around Indianapolis? Share your favorites.
Showing posts with label hiking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hiking. Show all posts
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Bug Day: Earning the Brownie Bugs Badge
Girl Scout camp is a natural place for your Brownies to earn their Bugs badge. Last week at day camp, we celebrated mid-week with "Bug Day" in our unit.
We started our day with a Bug Hike. Each girl had a small container for a bug box and magnifying glass
for collecting bugs along the way. "Bugs" wound up being loosely defined. We wound up with a vast collection of everything from mosquitoes and ants to spiders and slugs. But the girls loved exploring what's down below and slowing down for a bit. They truly didn't want to end their hike!
We also gave each girl a small container of clay to make their own bug creations. They were allowed to use any crafts supplies or found items, including rocks, leaves and sticks, to make their insects. I was impressed with some of their creative interpretations - from bugs sitting on sticks to carving designs of snail shells to entire scenes!
There to remain till I die.
Follow Robbie @'s board Girl Scout Projects on Pinterest.
We started our day with a Bug Hike. Each girl had a small container for a bug box and magnifying glass for collecting bugs along the way. "Bugs" wound up being loosely defined. We wound up with a vast collection of everything from mosquitoes and ants to spiders and slugs. But the girls loved exploring what's down below and slowing down for a bit. They truly didn't want to end their hike!
The girls also took time to observe and learn about the bugs they collected. I found this great bug observation worksheet on Pinterest. Even the girls who admitted at the beginning of the day that bugs freaked them out loved studying their insects and other creatures!
We also did a couple of bug-related crafts. A very quick one to do is the coffee-filter butterfly, which I think is a Girl Scout camp standard. The girls decorate their coffee filters with markers, then get the filters wet to spread the colors. When the coffee filters are dry, they use a pipe cleaner to create the body and the antennae.
We also gave each girl a small container of clay to make their own bug creations. They were allowed to use any crafts supplies or found items, including rocks, leaves and sticks, to make their insects. I was impressed with some of their creative interpretations - from bugs sitting on sticks to carving designs of snail shells to entire scenes!
Rounding out our bug badge day were a discussion about what we know and want to learn about bugs, creation of a team bugs poster that hung in our unit house all week and learning the "Wings of a Butterfly" song for our camp skit.
If I had the wings of a butterfly
If I had the wings of a butterfly (butterfly).
Up to the hills I would fly. (I'd fly)
There I would remain as a butterfly. There to remain till I die.
Chorus! (pronounced ch-or-us)
Oo la, Oo la, Oo la, Oo la. Repeat.
Oo la, Oo la, Oo la, Oo la. Once More.
Oo la, Oo la la la, Oo la. Last Time.
Oo la, Oo la la la, Oo la la.
Second verse....
(Replace butterfly with skeeter, airplane, dragon fly, fairy, chicken, etc., ending last verse with "If I had the wings of a Girl Scout.)
Looking for more Girl Scout ideas? Visit my new scout leader resource site, Use Resources Wisely.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Since I've been gone
Six weeks is an eternity in the blogging world. Yet it went by in a blink of an eye.
Here's what's been up with us during my blogging hiatus from Going Green Mama:
We did the Great Girl Scout Hike during Fall Break. An awesome way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting in America, several Girl Scout councils came up with the idea of having Girl Scouts cover every mile of the Appalachian Trail this year. More than 8,200 girls and leaders joined the fun - and we were part of it!
My daughter (and my husband and son) loved the scenery of the trail, which we picked up during a trek through Smoky Mountain National Park. We hit a small stretch near the North Carolina-Tennessee border, then another quieter route a few miles down the road. It was well worth making a memory.
I've been loving learning about essential oils. I know, it sounds crazy, but I am truly enjoying this adventure. It's been wonderful not having to reach for an over-the-counter medicine to battle the condition of the moment. Who needs medicine for motion sickness, headaches, stomach issues and more when you can just grab your bottle of peppermint oil? But the best part is the network of people I've met in Indiana who believe in trying natural first.
I've been happy being a Brownie leader...and a mom. This is a particularly big year, as my oldest participates in her First Communion, so are many additional activities we are enjoying. These seasons are so short in life. So my blogging may take a back seat - I will never get these moments back.
Wishing you all a wonderful week!
Robbie @ Going Green Mama
Here's what's been up with us during my blogging hiatus from Going Green Mama:
We did the Great Girl Scout Hike during Fall Break. An awesome way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting in America, several Girl Scout councils came up with the idea of having Girl Scouts cover every mile of the Appalachian Trail this year. More than 8,200 girls and leaders joined the fun - and we were part of it!
My daughter (and my husband and son) loved the scenery of the trail, which we picked up during a trek through Smoky Mountain National Park. We hit a small stretch near the North Carolina-Tennessee border, then another quieter route a few miles down the road. It was well worth making a memory.
I've been loving learning about essential oils. I know, it sounds crazy, but I am truly enjoying this adventure. It's been wonderful not having to reach for an over-the-counter medicine to battle the condition of the moment. Who needs medicine for motion sickness, headaches, stomach issues and more when you can just grab your bottle of peppermint oil? But the best part is the network of people I've met in Indiana who believe in trying natural first.
I've been happy being a Brownie leader...and a mom. This is a particularly big year, as my oldest participates in her First Communion, so are many additional activities we are enjoying. These seasons are so short in life. So my blogging may take a back seat - I will never get these moments back.
Wishing you all a wonderful week!
Robbie @ Going Green Mama
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Site worth sharing: Sierra Club trails search
Hiking is a favorite activity of our family, though one we don't get to do as often as we'd like. We are always on the lookout for regional trails to check out when the hiking bug bites.
The Sierra Club has recently launched a new site, Sierra Club Trails. It houses descriptions of trails across the country - which you can rate and add your own feedback on. Best of all, it's a wiki, so if you see things that are missing (like I know there are more than six trails in the state of Indiana--heck there are probably at least that many in Brown County alone, which stands out in its absence!) you can add your information to the site.
And it's more than just "this is a nice wooded trail." A Sierra Club rep told the Green Phone Booth:
So if I post a trail in, say, Yosemite, and you've been there recently and saw that part of the trail is really muddy, or the bugs are bad this time of year, or if camping spots are getting really popular and should be reserved in advance, you can update that.
The site is very easy to use and search for the trails you need. (Note to techies: It needs scripts enabled, or you're completely out of luck, especially in FireFox.) It's definitely worth bookmarking for future use. Thanks to the GPB for pointing this site out!
The Sierra Club has recently launched a new site, Sierra Club Trails. It houses descriptions of trails across the country - which you can rate and add your own feedback on. Best of all, it's a wiki, so if you see things that are missing (like I know there are more than six trails in the state of Indiana--heck there are probably at least that many in Brown County alone, which stands out in its absence!) you can add your information to the site.
And it's more than just "this is a nice wooded trail." A Sierra Club rep told the Green Phone Booth:
So if I post a trail in, say, Yosemite, and you've been there recently and saw that part of the trail is really muddy, or the bugs are bad this time of year, or if camping spots are getting really popular and should be reserved in advance, you can update that.
The site is very easy to use and search for the trails you need. (Note to techies: It needs scripts enabled, or you're completely out of luck, especially in FireFox.) It's definitely worth bookmarking for future use. Thanks to the GPB for pointing this site out!
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